Attendance

[Celtic Truth]

http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/Reports/attendanceYBYtop25.pdf

Marquettes average attendance this year was 15,327 which was up from 15,033 during an elite 8 season. Good for 15th best in the country. Only team ahead of us in the BE is creighton who beat us out by over 2,000 a game. I think our attendance is really impressive for a few reasons:
1: We were 17-15 and underachieved greatly
2. Us and creighton are by far the smallest schools in the list
3. We are one of only 4 private schools on the list but Syracuse is bigger and has a massive done, and BYU is one if the biggest schools in the country
4. We don't play right on campus

Very pleased with our numbers, shows what a great and loyal fan base we have

[Tugg Speedman]

http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/Reports/attendanceYBYtop25.pdf

Marquettes average attendance this year was 15,327 which was up from 15,033 during an elite 8 season. Good for 15th best in the country. Only team ahead of us in the BE is creighton who beat us out by over 2,000 a game. I think our attendance is really impressive for a few reasons:
1: We were 17-15 and underachieved greatly
2. Us and creighton are by far the smallest schools in the list
3. We are one of only 4 private schools on the list but Syracuse is bigger and has a massive done, and BYU is one if the biggest schools in the country
4. We don't play right on campus

Very pleased with our numbers, shows what a great and loyal fan base we have

it is a scoop tradition to whine moan and complain about our attendance numbers, not praise them.

Then you come in a ruin it with facts and figures.

Thanks a lot!

[tower912]

Counting down to the Equalizer weighing in.   Or maybe he stopped that now that Buzz is gone. 

[jsglow]

We have an incredible fan base and loyal following. We also get nearly half of the undergraduate students to buy season tickets.  Wojo gets it. Wish all scoopers did as well.

[bilsu]

I do not think not playing on campus matters much, since it is within walking distance. I suspect many Badger students have to walk farther to the Kohl Center. I wonder how much Buzz's bunch counted towards the attendence?

[HutchwasClutch]

I wouldn't make anything out of the fact we drew more in a 17-15 season than an Elite 8 season.  Attendance always jumps in any sport after a team makes a big time post-season run.  I'm sure many of those tickets were bought up early or before the season.  Nobody saw this crappy season coming along.   I may be wrong, but I bet the Brewers did better in 2012 than their NLCS appearance season of 2011.  And that's just one of countless examples.  

All that said, I agree about the significance of our strong attendance numbers.  What I like most is it's year after year we're near the top of the nation.  It does say a lot about the passion and loyalty of the fan base of MU, and says a lot to potential recruits I'm sure.  No kid wants to go to a program where the fan base barely cares, or will only care if they're really good.

[Blackhat]

Alcohol served is also a big plus adding to entertainment value.   Adults usually like the options on a fri or sat night.

[Brewtown Andy]

I wonder how much Buzz's bunch counted towards the attendence?

Probably not at all.  The tickets are provided to them for free, right? So there's no paid ticket there.  Also, they're usually taking up a section of the student area during break, and the student tickets are already paid through the whole season.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Probably not at all.  The tickets are provided to them for free, right? So there's no paid ticket there.  Also, they're usually taking up a section of the student area during break, and the student tickets are already paid through the whole season.

Attendance is total attendance, not paid attendance.  So yes, free tickets count.

[Atticus]

I think milwaukee metro is larger than all the cities ranked higher.

[MarquetteDano]

http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/Reports/attendanceYBYtop25.pdf

Marquettes average attendance this year was 15,327 which was up from 15,033 during an elite 8 season. Good for 15th best in the country. Only team ahead of us in the BE is creighton who beat us out by over 2,000 a game. I think our attendance is really impressive for a few reasons:
1: We were 17-15 and underachieved greatly
2. Us and creighton are by far the smallest schools in the list
3. We are one of only 4 private schools on the list but Syracuse is bigger and has a massive done, and BYU is one if the biggest schools in the country
4. We don't play right on campus

Very pleased with our numbers, shows what a great and loyal fan base we have

Someone should tell Buzz this as he made a couple of snarky remarks about the fans during his Senior Night speech.

[HutchwasClutch]

Someone should tell Buzz this as he made a couple of snarky remarks about the fans during his Senior Night speech.

What did he say exactly?

It doesn't surprise me, I don't recall Buzz ever praising the student and overall fan support.  His non acknowledgement of either spoke volumes about his attitude toward both.

[Jay Bee]

it is a scoop tradition to whine moan and complain about our attendance numbers, not praise them.

Then you come in a ruin it with facts and figures.

Thanks a lot!

Eh, facts and figures confuse the masses. To understand attendance you'd need to do a lot more than look at the avg attendance.

Just some basic things one can do easily (without getting into looking promotions being run year vs year, weather reports, etc)... the 2012-13 season was hit by a bad starting schedule.. Sunday opener, next two games were weekdays  -- including game 2 at 8pm on a Tues vs SE Louisiana.. yuck). Those first three games were the lowest in attendance for the season (and lower than any games in 2013-14).

Wisc / tOSU balanced each other out on a comp basis... if you look at just conference games year vs. year... both have 5 weekend games.. avg attendance was up less than one-half of one percent in 2013-14.

Nonconference attendance was up more than 4% in 2013-14 and that's why you have a 2% increase year over year.

"I think our attendance is really impressive for a few reasons: 1: We were 17-15 and underachieved greatly"...

You have been mislead by facts and figures. Repent.

[keefe]

Alcohol served is also a big plus adding to entertainment value.   Adults usually like the options on a fri or sat night.

Why impose artificial limitations?

[MarquetteDano]

What did he say exactly?

It doesn't surprise me, I don't recall Buzz ever praising the student and overall fan support.  His non acknowledgement of either spoke volumes about his attitude toward both.

Paraphrasing but basically "thanks to those who bothered to show up tonight despite a difficult season."

[Brewtown Andy]

Paraphrasing but basically "thanks to those who bothered to show up tonight despite a difficult season."

I believe that was "thanks to those who bothered to stick around," referring to the majority of the crowd that left immediately after the game on Senior Night.

[source?]

I think milwaukee metro is larger than all the cities ranked higher.

With more entertainment options...

[77ncaachamps]

BUT what were the actual attendance numbers over the last 15 games?

http://marquettewire.org/2014/02/20/tribune/tribune-news/basketball-attendance-dropping-at-marquette-nationwide/

I'm sure our sucking season kept many at home.

[77ncaachamps]

14269 - Southern
13372 - Grambling State
18756 - Ohio State (OSU's turn to wipe the deck...with MU players)
13522 - New Hampshire
13972 - OoeyPooey
13668 - Ball State
14668 - Samford
15194 - DePaul
15581 - Seton Hall
16662 - Nova
15248 - Providence
14479 - Butler
18644 - Xavier (National MU day)
15539 - Creighton!
14874 - Georgetown
16784 - St. John's (Senior Day!)

Not sure what to make of it. Not strong showings toward the end of the season since fans knew the toilet was already flushed...

[keefe]

Not sure what to make of it. Not strong showings toward the end of the season since fans knew the toilet was already flushed...

well, the toilet may have been flushed but there was still a lot of fecal residue in the bowl...

[jsglow]

14269 - Southern
13372 - Grambling State
18756 - Ohio State (OSU's turn to wipe the deck...with MU players)
13522 - New Hampshire
13972 - OoeyPooey
13668 - Ball State
14668 - Samford
15194 - DePaul
15581 - Seton Hall
16662 - Nova
15248 - Providence
14479 - Butler
18644 - Xavier (National MU day)
15539 - Creighton!
14874 - Georgetown
16784 - St. John's (Senior Day!)

Not sure what to make of it. Not strong showings toward the end of the season since fans knew the toilet was already flushed...

What pushes attendance north of 17,000 are strong ticket sales to the relatively casual fan who might attend one or two games a year.  Simply put, there wasn't any buzz in town (sorry) once we lost the weeknight Creighton game.  Certainly 2013-14 attendance was largely supported by strong season and partial season package sales over the summer and early fall.  That'll be down this year although I think excitement over Wojo will improve things from what could have been the case had Buzz stayed and several players left.

[keefe]

what could have been the case had Buzz stayed and several players left.

The ultimate Doomsday Scenario. We were awfully close to a genuinely tragic outcome at Marquette. There are many ways to lose control of an enterprise; Bert Does Milwaukee would make a fascinating case study in leadership.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Paraphrasing but basically "thanks to those who bothered to show up tonight despite a difficult season."

What I remember was him saying something like "you all who stayed for senior day are the true fans"

I didn't blame him, I would estimate that less than a 1,000 out of the 16,000 who came that day stayed for the presentaion. Pretty sad showing on the fans' part

[Texas Western]

A UWM game would probably boost this years attendance. A few more of their people might show because of their season last year. Might be a 15,000 plus game.

[MarquetteDano]

What I remember was him saying something like "you all who stayed for senior day are the true fans"

I didn't blame him, I would estimate that less than a 1,000 out of the 16,000 who came that day stayed for the presentaion. Pretty sad showing on the fans' part

It certainly was not as positive as "those who stayed are the true fans".  It was a bit more snarky than that.   Something much closer to "we have struggled this season and look how people didn't bother to show up."

I do agree with Brewtown Andy that he probably was referring to the post game attendance versus the game itself though.